In the past few months, several instances of overspeeding, reckless driving and accidents sent DTC officials into an overdrive. Atul Mathur reports.

In the past few months, several instances of overspeeding, reckless driving and accidents sent DTC officials into an overdrive.

And now, senior DTC officials say a concerted effort to instil discipline towards and awareness about traffic violations among its drivers has yielded positive results.

DTC chairman and managing director Vijay Kumar Dev said the corporation has penalised almost 800 drivers in the past three weeks for overspeeding. While three of them have been terminated, 12 have been suspended and six chargesheeted.

Dev said a majority of them have been issued warnings. DTC has also suspended three depot managers on similar grounds. "The action has yielded desired results. From 147 instances of overspeeding on August 22 — when this drive was launched — the number has come down to just nine on September 11," Dev said.

"In the past month, from August 11 to September 10, we have trained 876 drivers. Another 846 have been given one-day capsule programme on safe driving," Dev said.

Though the number of people mowed down by DTC buses in 2011 may have increased, Dev said it has a much bigger fleet now and covers more kilometres daily.